Kentucky Shakespeare board chair Allen Harris has confirmed that producing artistic director and CEO Brantley Dunaway is on leave from the organization. On Thursday, the board voted to place Dunaway, who is Kentucky Shakespeare's top executive, on paid administrative leave through July 22, 2013. Dunaway is expected to be in court on that date for a hearing regarding the emergency protective order Madison Dunaway, his wife of eight years and Kentucky Shakespeare co-worker, received against him Monday evening. Madison, an actor under contract with Kentucky Shakespeare to play the role of Viola in "Twelfth Night," resigned Monday night after receiving the protective order. The production closed the next day. Harris says he learned about the protective order Monday evening, when Madison tendered her resignation to him directly. The board did not vote to place Brantley on administrative leave until Thursday, the same day the story about the protective order broke. "We were attempting to see if he could still be effective in his position, but as the situation changed and grew, he needed to focus more and more time on his personal situation and so we thought the best thing to do would be to give him the time to do that," says Harris.Harris says the board is concerned about Brantley Dunaway's leadership of the organization going forward. "This is a disturbing situation, and I'm anxious to see how it plays out, because I want to know what his ability is to lead us in the future," says Harris. "Until the legal situation plays itself out or the situation develops further, we can't make a decision on that, but of course we're concerned."
